NATSO Testifies at EPA Hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard

LeeAnn Goheen, NATSO’s Senior Director of Government Affairs, testified on Jan. 10, 2023, at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing examining the agency's proposed renewable volume obligations for 2034, 2024, and 2025 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
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LeeAnn Goheen, NATSO’s Senior Director of Government Affairs, testified on Jan. 10, 2023, at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing examining the agency's proposed renewable volume obligations for 2034, 2024, and 2025 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Goheen testified that EPA should implement the RFS in a manner that maximizes the program's ability to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Goheen testified that EPA’s proposal would undermine growth in commercially viable low carbon fuel sectors such as renewable diesel while at the same time giving windfall benefits to airlines and carmakers.  

“NATSO is extremely disappointed with the proposal,” Goheen said. “The lack of growth in the advanced category is particularly perplexing. These fuels are the most environmentally attractive fuels that the RFS has been able to incentivize at scale and serve as the best tool for the Biden Administration to lower carbon emissions in the near-term.”

Unlike ethanol, which faces artificial blendwall barriers around compatibility and year-round sales of E15, there is no blendwall for biodiesel and renewable diesel. 

Goheen also testified that EPA is squandering an opportunity in its E-RIN proposal, which could have made investments  in EV charging stations profitable sooner and therefore encouraged fuel retailers to make investments.  

NATSO thinks that EPA should allow charging station owners and operators to generate E-RINs rather than giving the E-RIN incentive to auto manufacturers as a windfall on top of their existing tax credits and fuel economy incentives. 

“EPA’s proposal signals to fuel retailers that EV charging is not worth their investment,” Goheen testified. 

EPA is currently accepting written public comment on the proposal, and NATSO will file detailed comments by the February 10, 2023 deadline. The final rule is expected to be announced in late June.
 

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